A 51-year-old Seminole man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly breaking into a secured Duke Energy facility, stealing a company truck, and fleeing from law enforcement early Tuesday morning.
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on April 22, 2026, at approximately 4:55 a.m. at a Duke Energy facility located at 2501 25th Street North in Pinellas County. Investigators say the suspect, identified as Shawn Brent Creager, climbed over a six-foot fence topped with barbed wire by using his shirt to shield himself before entering the restricted property.
Once inside, Creager allegedly entered a work truck that had been left running by an employee and drove it out of the facility, crashing through a secured gate to escape. The vehicle, a 2023 white Dodge Ram 1500, was tracked by employees using a company system, which helped deputies locate it shortly after the theft. Deputies successfully used a tire-deflating device in attempts to disable the vehicle.
Authorities say Creager attempted to flee on foot after abandoning the truck at a Holiday Inn Express in Largo. Deputies requested assistance from a Largo Police K-9 unit. A police dog located Creager hiding against a building in tall grass, where he was apprehended…